talk delivered at the Mini University, Indiana University, Bloomngton, on June 13,2017

1. Right-Wing Populism in
Europe and the United
States
A lecture prepared for delivery at Mini University,
Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, on June 13, 2017
Jeffrey A. Hart, Emeritus Professor
of Political Science

2. Definitions
 Populism is the quality of appealing to or identifying with
ordinary people (not elites)
 Right-wing populism is a political ideology that rejects the
current political consensus and often
combines ethnocentrism, and anti-elitism. It is
considered populism because of its appeal to the "common
man" as opposed to the elites.
 Left-wing populism is a political ideology which combines
left-wing politics and populist rhetoric and themes. The
rhetoric often consists of anti-elitist sentiments, opposition to
the system and speaking for the "common people."
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3. Populism in the USA
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Left Wing Right Wing

4. Cas Mudde’s definition
 “I define populism as an ideology that considers society to be
ultimately separated into two homogeneous and antagonistic
groups, ‘the pure people’ versus ‘the corrupt elite’, and which
argues that politics should be an expression of the volonté
générale (general will) of the people.”
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5. Five Key Ideological Elements
 Emphasizing sovereignty of the people
 Advocating for the people
 Attacking the elites
 Ostracizing others
 Invoking the heartland
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6. Differences among European Right
Wing Populists
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7. Rise of Rightwing Populist Parties
In Western Europe
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8. Popularity of West European
Populist Parties
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9.  France, Poland, and Austria high
on right wing voting intentions
 Germany and Italy lower but
increasing support
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Jaroslaw
Kaczynski
of Polish PiS
Party

10. 10
Geert Wilders, Dutch PVV
 Founder of PVV (Party for
Freedom)
 Strongly Anti-Islam
 Favors tax on “head rags”
 Keeps his distance from
fascists and neo-fascists
 Convicted of inciting
discrimination against
Moroccans
 PVV gained seats in 2017

11. 11
Matteo Salvini, Northern League in
Italy
 Head of Lega Nord since
2013
 Member of European
Parliament
 Euroskeptic and strongly
opposes illegal immigration
 Supports Padania
(separation of Northern
from Southern Italy)

12. 12
Norbert Hofer, Austrian Freedom
Party
 Narrowly lost 2016 Election
for President
 Received 47 percent of
votes in second round
 Opposes immigration, free
trade, globalization

13. 13
Marine Le Pen and the National
Front in France
 Took over leadership of
National Front from her
father
 Tried to make the party
more acceptable to voters
by expelling racist and anti-
semitic members
 Won 34 percent of the vote
for President in 2017

14. 14
Nigel Farage, UKIP in Britain
 Led UKIP 2010-2016
 Big role in Brexit vote
 Big admirer of Donald
Trump and Steve Bannon
 Supported Marine Le Pen
 Currently works for Fox
News

15. 15
Frauke Petry, Alternative for
Germany
 Chairwoman of party since
2015
 Anti-Muslim, wants to ban
minarets
 Opposes Sharia law
 Opposes existing
immigration practices

16. Is Populism Fascism?
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17. Notable Recent Elections
 Brexit vote in June 2016
 Election of Donald Trump in November 2016
 PVV wins seats in Netherlands parliament 2017
 Victory of Macron over Le Pen in France in 2017
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18. Factors that explain the rise of
populism (right and left)
 Slow economic growth
 Dissatisfaction with democratic institutions
 Low social mobility and high inequality
 Anti-globalization sentiments
 Rise in immigration rates and the flow of refugees
 Support from Russia
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19. Causes of Sluggish Growth
 Major contraction following the financial crisis of 2007-8
 Major increases in deficit spending financed by public debt to
maintain pre-crisis levels of growth and employment
 Increased debt leads to increased interest rates in weaker
economies
 Adoption of austerity policies to deal with budget shortfalls
 Delayed restructuring of sectors that continue to drag down
the overall economy
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20. The European Refugee Crisis
 Began in 2015
 Rising numbers seeking asylum: espec. Syrians, Afghanis,
and Iraqis
 Largest number of asylum application in Germany but large
numbers of asylum seekers in Greece and Turkey
 Turkey has 2 million Syrian refugees now
 EU-Turkey deal in March 2016 to send Greek asylum
seekers to Turkey in exchange for a big aid package and
accelerated negotiations for membership in the EU
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21. Factors that Influence Anti-
Immigration Attitudes
 Unemployment
 Low socio-economic status (espec. Education)
 Low-skill employment
 Youth
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22. “Supply-Side” Factors
 Multiparty electoral systems
 Proportional Representation
 Convergence of Mainstream Parties
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23. Conclusions
 In Europe, supporters of Right-Wing Populist Parties are anti-
immigrant and anti-EU
 Anti-Islamic views are prevalent among both leaders and
followers
 Until recently, these parties had too few voters to form their
own governments or to elect heads of state
 Anti-elitist, ethnocentric, anti-democratic elements are
worrisome for the future of democracy
 If the European economy improves, however, the danger will
decrease
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